Al-Qaeda militants attack Yemen-Saudi Arabia border post - reports

Saudi soldiers take their position at Saudi Arabia's border with Yemen April 6, 2015. (Reuters/Faisal Al Nasser) / Reuters

Suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists reportedly attacked a remote Yemeni military post near the Saudi border on Tuesday, killing several officers. The attack comes amid turmoil in Yemen which has already claimed over 540 lives, according to the WHO.

Last week, terrorists from the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) group, which is considered to be the
most dangerous Al-Qaeda branch, attacked the Arabian Sea port of
Mukalla in southeastern Yemen. The fighters seized a major army
base and broke into the prison there, having freed hundreds of
inmates, including AQAP militants and one of the group's top
regional commanders.

Residents say Al-Qaeda militants remain in control of around half
of the town, Reuters reported.

More than 540 people were killed and some 1,700 wounded in
Yemen's multi-sided conflict since March 19, according to the
World Health Organization (WHO). The toll was up to April 6, a
WHO spokesman told reporters on Tuesday.

After fierce Monday clashes between the Houthi rebels and
President Hadi's supporters, more than 140 people were killed in
the fighting, AP reported, saying the bloodiest clashes occurred
in the main southern city of Aden.

Meanwhile, at least 74 children have been confirmed killed since
March 26, with another 44 kids having been injured in the
conflict, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said. But
the toll is believed to be far higher, UNICEF added, also saying
that more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the
violence.

On Tuesday, at least six children were killed during the
coalition airstrikes on Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, after a
school was hit in central Yemen, a military source in the country
told Sputnik news agency.

Increasing number of pictures of very young children killed by
#Saudi
airstrikes in #Yemen I wont
tweet but hope they see who they r killing

Russia has urged the UN Security Council to push for a
humanitarian pause in the strikes waged by Saudi Arabia and a
coalition of Gulf monarchies, and the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) workers have warned of a dire situation in
the region.

Red Cross's first plane with humanitarian aid landed in Sanaa, AP
reported on Tuesday, after the ICRC finally received a permission
from the Saudi-led coalition to send planes to the region after
days of delays. The Red Cross is ready to immediately send more
necessary aid, currently stored in Jordan, Djibouti and
Switzerland.

Meanwhile, the US is speeding up weapons supplies and stepping up
intelligence sharing with the coalition, US Deputy Secretary of
State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, the White House spokesman said that "the
US military continues to support the efforts of Saudi Arabia and
some of their partners in the region to try to address the
security situation along their border that they're justifiably
concerned about." The US is "forcefully supporting the
UN-led effort to try to bring the violence to an end," press
secretary Josh Earnest added.